The Picnic
by MyImmortal329
Summary: Michaela and Sully enjoy an afternoon picnic together. Takes place during Mothers and Daughters.


**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. The rights to those characters and to the show belong to the creators of the show, to CBS, The Sullivan Company and to A&E. Any particular lines in this fic that were used in the episode "Mothers and Daughters" do not belong to me.**

_**Warning: This fic contains a consensual sexual situation between two married people.**_

**The Picnic**

**By, Ashley J.**

**Written April 2, 2006**

"Sully!" she called with a nervous but knowing smile, as she crossed the street and found herself in her new husband's arms. She reveled in the feel of his heart beating against hers, as her fingers gently raked against his back, feeling his muscles ripple there. She heard his voice catch in his throat for a moment, and it thrilled her to no end that she did that to him. She was bashful, but she was new to the experience of married life. She wanted him to know so much, yet she was still a little apprehensive when it came to completely opening herself up to him.

Oh, things had changed since they were first married. They had slowly grown to know one another, yet over the past few weeks, their slow, uncertain experiences had ignited into something that neither of them could have imagined, and those private expressions of their love where theirs and theirs alone, though Michaela still felt as if something was missing. She felt as if she was caught between following the advice to wait for him or to follow her heart and let him know when…when she needed him.

"Hey," he said quickly, gently pulling back to look into the eyes he could easily drown in. He smiled a bit, as her cheeks blushed with little experience. "Where ya headin'?"

"I…I was looking for you, actually," she said softly, hoping she didn't seem too forward. But, the grin that spread across his face made her heart skip a beat, and she trembled slightly in his arms.

"Why's that?"

"Well, I was…I just…I know it's only been a few hours, but I was missing you." She gently bit her bottom lip, waiting for his response and not being able to stop herself from grinning. The look in his eyes told her that he felt the same way.

"Glad ya found me." The flush rose to Michaela's cheeks, and she breathed a sigh of relief and desire, when he wrapped his arm snugly around her, deciding to drop everything to be with his wife. This was the most pressing matter. This was what he needed too. "How much time ya got?"

"I'm free all afternoon," she replied with a gentle kiss upon his jaw, quickly peeking around to see if anyone had seen. She couldn't help herself. Being with him now was so different than before they were married. There was always an unspoken question between them before, and now that they were married, the answer had unfolded, and they were a part of one another forever.

"Alright," he said with a grin. "You wait in the wagon. I'll be right back."

"The wagon?" Michaela asked with a raised eyebrow, disappointed that they weren't leaving right away. She felt foolish and selfish that she wanted to spend as much time as possible with him, but being with him filled her completely. She felt as if the safest place in the world was in his arms, lying against his pulse and feeling it race at her touch.

"Don't worry. I'll be back real quick," he whispered softly against her lips, pulling her into a kiss that promised so much more later on. She felt her knees buckle but held onto him, as the kiss lingered. For once, she didn't care about the stares. She only cared about him and what they could feel when they were together like this. He pulled away far too soon for her liking, but he smiled down at her, brushing his thumb across her cheek. She leaned into his caresses. "I won't be long." The fire in her eyes urged him to hurry, but before he did, he helped her into the wagon and left her with a kiss to her hand.

She shivered, sitting alone in the wagon, waiting for her husband to return and take her home. For a moment, she wondered if she was inconveniencing him, but she had seen the look in his eyes; it was the same look that she'd seen many nights before. He wanted to be with her just as much as she wanted to be with him, and that made her pulse quicken.

Thinking back to their first few moments joined as man and wife, Michaela flushed, remembering how clumsy and uncertain they had both been. They had both been waiting for so long, but neither one of them wanted to hurt the other. She had been afraid of not knowing how to please him, and he had been afraid of making her first time unpleasant and painful.

But that was in the past, and things had improved beyond her wildest imaginations.

The longer she waited, the more she noticed women glancing toward her with knowing smiles on their faces. They had been her once too. They had been the new brides waiting on their husbands. They had been eager and enthusiastic about dropping everything in the middle of the day for nothing but love. She frowned a little, wondering if she was being responsible. She didn't have any appointments, but her job was at that clinic. What if someone needed her?

When she saw Dorothy pass her by, the older woman simply smiled, a flicker in her eyes; a memory of her own newlywed days. Michaela felt sad for her, because she had never had the kind of love that Michaela had with Sully.

She sighed softly, gently strumming her fingers against the seat, and when she heard something stir in the back of the wagon, she started to turn around.

"Don't peek," his voice warned, thick with promises she couldn't wait to have realized.

"I wouldn't dream of it," she replied with a hint of a laugh in her voice. A moment later, Sully was climbing up beside her and taking hold of the reins. Michaela smiled, and she warmed as he slipped one arm around her and softly pressed his lips against her blushing cheek.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Why are we stopping?" she asked, as Sully pulled back on the reins to slow the wagon in the middle of nowhere. "Where are we?"

"You'll see," was his only response, as the horses guided the wagon through two tall oak trees. Finally, the wagon halted, and Sully climbed down. He held his arms out and caught his wife, helping her land softly in the grass. He took her hand and walked her around to the back of the wagon. Michaela's eyes sparkled at the sight of a picnic blanket and basket.

"Sully," she said with a smile. "A picnic?"

"Yep. Figured ya might be hungry since we missed breakfast this mornin'." Michaela flushed but only nodded.

"I am a little hungry," she admitted. "I suppose I haven't thought much about food lately."

"That's alright," he replied, gently stopping to pull her in for a kiss. "Me neither." She smiled, and their noses gently rubbed together. They laughed a little, knowing that they could be silly with one another without a care. They knew they could say or do anything and still have the love and the comfort of one another to fall back on.

Sully pulled the blanket into one arm and the picnic basket into another. Michaela snatched the blanket from him, and she saw a gleam in his eyes.

"Where to, Mr. Sully?"

"You pick."

"Me?" He grinned mischievously.

"Yep. You." Michaela thought for a moment. Where was the perfect place? She looked about. They were out in the open, only secluded by a few trees, so slowly, she reached for his hand, and she led him deeper through the trees, not realizing this had been his plan all along.

"There isn't much room," she said after a few minutes of walking. "I…"

"Keep goin'," he said, squeezing her hand. "Maybe you'll find a place ya really like." Michaela turned and eyed him curiously for a moment before turning back to walk further through the trees with him. The anticipation was gnawing at her, and she could feel his palms sweating a bit. She knew he was just as eager to be alone, but at the same time, she was a bit worried. They were outside in the open…he couldn't possibly be planning to… "I hear somethin'."

"Where?"

"Up ahead," he said, urging her on. Michaela laughed, shaking her head, and they continued on. It wasn't long before the trees opened up to her, and the sound that had been droning in their ears for a few minutes was visualized.

A clearing sparkled in the sunlight, as a small waterfall poured downward into a little bath-sized pool. A large lot of soft, green grass was bathed in the sunlight, yet a small patch lay under the shade of a tree. Michaela grinned at her husband and placed the blanket out in the shade to spare them from the scorching sun.

"Not many folks know 'bout this place," Sully said with a slow nod, as he and Michaela spread out the corners of the blanket and settled down. Sully slipped out of his moccasins and placed his belt alongside them. Michaela gently chewed her lower lip at his nonchalant actions.

He settled down across from her and they opened up a basket full of Grace's finest cooking, apple pie, and two jars of her famous lemonade. Her eyes met Sully, and she began to wonder if they would even make it through the meal.

They ate in silence, their eyes gazing at one another, letting them roam over to places they wished to touch and kiss and caress. Michaela shivered, as his jaw clenched, and she wondered what he was thinking, and when he bowed his head for a moment, she saw a smile threatening to form upon his lips.

After they'd cleared their plates and drank up most of their lemonade, Sully cleared the plates, and he pulled a pan out of the basket with two slices of apple pie inside.

"Dessert?" he asked, his voice hinting at something much more. Michaela's pulse fluttered, and she smiled. But, she teasingly reached for the pan and drew up some of the apple filling onto her finger. Watching her intently, he waited until she was about to bring her finger to her lips, before he swooped forward, drew her hand to his mouth and promptly licked the sweetness off of her index finger. She couldn't help but giggle as he drew the tip of her finger into his mouth and gently suckled on it before teasing it with the tip of his tongue. By now, her smile was bright and beaming, and Sully couldn't resist replacing her finger with her mouth, kissing her lovingly…hungrily.

"Sully!" she laughed, as his lips moved from her lips to her earlobe. He gently nibbled there, causing her to shiver, as his breath hit the tiny hairs on the back of her neck. She moaned softly, as he pulled his arms around her, pulling her down with him; down onto the ground. He held her atop him, and she smiled down, stuck with nowhere to go, and their lips met again. She lost her breath as he rolled her over onto her back, off of the blanket and onto the sun-soaked ground.

Her hazel and emerald eyes sparkled in the sunlight, as did her chestnut colored locks that sparkled auburn in the summer sun. Her chest rose and fell against his, and his hand gently swept across her face, taking in her features and memorizing every beautiful detail. Everything about her he loved. He loved the way her eyes were different colors and the way one was just a little wider than the other. He noticed how her grin raised up higher on one side, and that only illuminated the beautiful glow of her face. He couldn't even begin to describe the love he felt for this amazing woman.

She looked up at him, feeling him breathing softly above her. The smell of his cologne filled her nostrils, and she recognized it as the one she'd purchased for him on their honeymoon in Denver. He hadn't liked it much, but he'd worn it just for her.

Her fingers gently traced his jaw line, before she closed her eyes and ran the tips of her fingers over his eyelids and his nose and his lips, making a map of him in the darkness. It wasn't long before she felt those familiar urgings beginning to spark and fire within her. She turned her head to look around, but his mouth met and suckled the exposed flesh behind her ear.

His hand slowly moved up her side, gently caressing the side of her breast. She closed her eyes, pressing herself into his touch, but when a bird called overhead, her eyes snapped open, and she took a deep breath.

"Sully! Sully, what if someone sees?" she asked, her face flushing in a panic.

"Nobody lives out this way," Sully said quietly.

"But that doesn't mean…"

"I spent a lot of time out here, Michaela. People hardly ever come out this far."

"That doesn't mean…" She saw the smile slowly fading from his lips, and he rolled onto his back, running his fingers through his hair. She felt as if she'd disappointed him, and her heart fell. "Sully…I'm sorry."

"Ya don't gotta apologize."

"No, I…I shouldn't have…I…" Sully shook his head.

"This ain't your fault."

"I came looking for you and…I know that…" Her voice faltered.

"What are ya talkin' about?" She shook her head.

"Nothing. Never mind. It's silly." She covered her face with her hands, but when she slowly removed them, Sully was leaning over her, worry and wonder in his eyes. He took her hand in his.

"You can tell me anything. Ya know that." She sighed and slowly nodded.

"Well…there…I've been taught that in…in certain matters…the woman should wait for the man." Suddenly, her behavior made perfect sense to him, and he sighed with relief.

"Don't pay no attention to that. Not with me," he breathed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She smiled a little, as his kiss moved from there to her eyelids, to her nose, and finally to her lips. "I appreciate your enthusiasm."

"My enthusiasm?" she asked, as she looked into his twinkling eyes when he nodded. And without words, they both knew. They laughed giddily together before being consumed in another kiss, this one much more passionate than the last.

Letting herself relax under the protective body of her husband, she let her hands tug at his shirt, freeing it from his buckskins. He began to unbutton her blouse, as her hands moved up his muscular torso, slowly exploring him, as his hands tugged her blouse from the belt of her skirt. She arched her back and helped him slip the shirt off of her, and he held her to him, feeling the fabric of her camisole against him.

Her hands lifted his shirt above his head, and she laughed a little, as it fluttered to the growing pile. She felt young and carefree with him, and with a final glance around to make sure all was secure, she sat up with him, pushing into his embrace as he pulled her in. Her arms and legs twined with his, and his hands slid her belt from its loops.

He gently pulled back from her, only to take her feet into his lap, slowly, torturously removing her shoes one at a time, tugging at the laces slowly, as she anticipated their union. She couldn't take her eyes off of his, and seeing the desire in his azure eyes pooling there just for her made her melt a little.

One shoe hit the ground, and his hands began to work at the other. When she was shoeless, his hands moved up her skirt, slowly moving up her thin petticoat, reaching her stocking-clad legs. He took his time removing each stocking, and his fingertip gently caressed her tense muscles on the way down.

When her legs were finally bare, he surprised her by standing up. She looked up at him with confusion wrought at the corners of her mouth. He silently held out a hand, and she trustingly took it. She stood to face him, her eyes gazing up into his. His hands gently slid down her shoulders, moving the straps of her camisole down. She bit her bottom lip, as his hands worked with the front buttons. Her eyes never left his. This was the moment their souls reached out and connected in a mutual embrace.

When the camisole fluttered down to the ground at her feet, she slowly crossed her arms across her chest, covering herself up from his sight. He smiled knowingly and took her braid in his hands, taking out the twine that held it together. Soon, he was running his fingers through her hair, smoothing it out and watching it fall around her shoulders and down her back.

"Beautiful," he murmured, as he bent down to kiss her lips, crushing her body to his chest. Her arms moved from their protective barrier and wrapped boldly around his bare torso. She smiled, as the feeling of their bare skin connecting ignited a thousand fires inside of her body.

As they kissed, his hands tugged at her skirt until it fell—along with the rest of her undergarments—to the ground. She gasped at the sudden feeling of the breeze against her most natural, private state, and she yelped when Sully scooped her up into his arms with a teasing look in his eyes.

"Sully! Sully, what are you doing?" When she noticed that they were drawing nearer to the small waterfall, she clung tightly around his neck. "Don't you dare! You put me down right this instant, Byron Sully!" But, he ignored her pleas, and she yelped again. "No! Sully! I'm serious! Put me down!" She began to laugh that infectious laughter, and a moment later, she was plopping bottom-first into the small pool of water. She screamed out at the feeling of the cold water invading her body, and she glared up at her husband, who stood there, not a drop of water on his body, as he worked with the button of his buckskins. "You!"

"Hmm?" She couldn't stop herself from smiling at him once her body adjusted to the temperature of the water. Sully peeled his buckskins down his legs, and when he kicked them aside, Michaela's eyes moved from his, down his chest, and farther down. She swallowed hard, as he stepped into the cold water, stepping toward her. She didn't back away, however, and the water that fell from up above began to cascade down her body, causing her flesh to prickle and her nipples to harden in response.

Her hands reached for him, pulling him to her, as they sunk down into the pool, finding it a little deeper than they'd imagined. Their bodies found each other under the cool water, and they clung to each other, feeling the reactions of each other's bodies.

"Sully," she whispered, as his lips kissed the hollow of her neck and followed a path down to her breasts, gently running his tongue along her nipple, gently suckling the flesh before doing the same favor to her other breast.

She arched her back, as her hands slid against water and the flesh of his back, feeling the sleek motion of fluid.

He was rising against her, and she was shivering now. She needed the sunlight, and she wanted to pay him back for dumping her into that water. So, her hand slowly caressed sensual circles down his chest and lower to his abdomen, and just as a low moan escaped his lips, she pushed away from him and lifted herself out of the pool. Sully jumped in surprise at his wife's actions and he quickly followed after her, catching her, as she squealed with laughter in his arms.

"Sullyyyyyy!" she howled, as he spun her around and captured her lips with his own again. Their knees buckled, and they tumbled down to the ground, holding each other ever so close. Michaela breathed heavily, as Sully's mouth enclosed over a nipple again, and she moaned his name, as his hand gently parted her thighs. She closed her eyes, feeling her center pooling with heat and pure desire and love. "Oh…"

She bit down hard onto her lip as his fingers explored her, gently circling her sensitive flesh, drawing out heavy moans and soft pants of breath.

"I…" she whispered, as a surge of desire jolted through her body. He gently pulled back, pressing his lips against her damp neck.

"What is it?" he whispered, urging her to feel safe to tell him what she wanted…what she needed. "Let me know." Michaela took a deep breath and ran her fingers through his wet hair.

"I need you," she breathed, before she pulled his mouth down upon hers in a fiery kiss. His hands gently roamed down her sides and softly gripped her hips, as he rolled between her legs. She adjusted herself beneath him, pressing her hands firmly against his back, as she pulled him closer.

"And I need you." Without further hesitation, he joined their bodies together with one swift thrust, filling her completely, as they shuddered and held one another tight. Her teeth nipped at his shoulder, and she soothed the teeth marks she left with her tongue, tasting the perspiration that was forming there. She nursed the small mark for a moment, as he began to move inside of her, rocking her in his arms, as their worlds came crashing together with mutual instinct and raw emotion.

Her eyes squeezed shut tightly, and she wrapped her legs around his hips, bringing him in deeper, as he quickened his pace and heightened their passion for one another.

"Sully!" she cried out, as he pushed her threshold, causing her to begin to grip his shoulders, her nails clenching his broad shoulders, urging him on. As she bucked beneath him and clenched around him, he cried his passion out between kisses, deepening the connection and creating a heightened sense of ecstasy.

And when they reached their highest culmination, they came crashing down together, holding on to one another with every ounce of strength they had left.

He pulled away from her, sprawling out in the grass, his chest rising and falling in half the pace his heart was thumping. She lie there, every part of her body still throbbing but sated, for now.

As the sun's rays began to move across the land, Michaela rolled to her side to face, him, her cheeks flushed red and her body still coming down from an unbelievable high. Her hand splayed out flat against his heart, and he put his hand over hers, pressing it there to hear the hard _thump thump thump_.

Their eyes met, and their smiles matched one another's. They couldn't get enough of one another, and as he rolled to his side to frame her face with his hands and kiss her tenderly again, he whispered, "don't be afraid to ask." Her eyes fluttered open, and he kissed the tip of her nose. "Anytime ya want some holdin'…all ya gotta do is ask. I'm happy makin' you happy." She sighed softly and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds around them.

They pulled one another close and lay together under the hot summer sun, reveling in the feeling of having someone to hold…someone to love. And after a while, they picked themselves up and prepared to go back into the real world, where there wasn't always time for holding, but where sweet kisses held promises of so much more.

The End


End file.
